Sixth case cited in nurse midwife's license suspension

Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun

The Maryland Board of Nursing has added a sixth case in its order suspending the license of an Ellicott City nurse midwife for her alleged actions during home births in recent years — including a case in which Johns Hopkins Hospital was ordered to pay one of the largest malpractice judgments in the state.

The newest case cited by the board involved an infant whose delivery was aided by Evelyn Muhlhan and who later died. The baby turned blue shortly after birth and died about a month later at a hospital after being removed from an advanced breathing machine, according her mother, who complained to the board.

The board did not identify the mother, but Lisa Walters of Westminster confirmed to The Baltimore Sun that she complained in March about the midwife's action at the September birth.

The board's suspension order said the midwife did not have an agreement with the state allowing her to deliver in homes. The board said the cases taken together showed she had a "reckless disregard for health, safety and welfare of her pregnant patients."

Muhlhan was not a party to the Hopkins lawsuit, but the board cited her actions during that delivery as part of its suspension order. In that case, a baby was taken to the hospital in fetal distress after a failed home birth. A jury, which was not allowed hear about the suspension or much of Muhlhan's alleged actions, found Hopkins responsible for the boy's brain injuries and ordered the hospital to pay $55 million to the family.

The board continues its investigation and can eventually reinstate or permanently revoke Muhlhan's license. Muhlhan declined to comment, and her lawyer could not be reached.